Planning for a baby – pregnancy planning tips

The selection of your physician or other healthcare provider will be one of your first important decisions in planning for a baby. Choose a doctor with whom you are comfortable, whose outlook and treatment of pregnancy is closely aligned with your own beliefs. Referrals from family, friends and other trusted sources are good places to start.

Come to your first visit prepared with questions. You should also be ready to answer questions from your doctor, so you will need to have a good grasp of your own health history.

We suggest you discuss the following topics:

• Menstrual cycle timing and regularity
• Past or current illness that might affect your ability to conceive
• Sexually transmitted diseases, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), etc.
• Past miscarriages, prior pregnancies or birth defects
• Your medical history and your partner's as well
• Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and vitamins (especially folic acid)
• Exercise and eating habits

Request Now is the time to get started on a high-quality prenatal vitamin.

Seek Seek out and carefully follow your doctor's advice.

Review Go over your immune status to childhood diseases such as mumps, measles, rubella, etc. with your doctor.

Evaluate Experts recommend that you stop using the birth control pill at least 3 to 4 months before becoming pregnant. Think about using this time to discuss contraception alternatives.

Embrace Healthy Living Embracing a healthy lifestyle is one of the fundamental ways to truly take charge of your pre-pregnancy planning process.

Reduce Stress Stress can cause irregular ovulation and can disrupt your menstrual cycle — affecting your overall fertility. If you take just a few deliberate measures, it will go far in helping to reduce daily stress. For example, spend time with friends, listen to music, meditate, or start a calming hobby such as knitting, scrapbooking or reading.

Get Plenty of Sleep It’s good for your mind, body and soul. Besides, once your baby is here it will be hard to come by, so take advantage now!

Nutritional Needs What you eat — and decide not to eat — at this time is perhaps the single greatest advantage you can give yourself in preparing to get pregnant. Now is the time to follow through on a commitment to eating better. Many key vitamins and minerals are required in greater amounts to meet your increased nutritional needs and those of your growing baby.

DO Follow a well-balanced diet containing food from all of the major food groups. DO Begin taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin containing folic acid and iron and continue throughout your entire pregnancy to ensure that you get the added nutrition necessary for mother and baby. This will help reduce your risk of nutrient deficiency. DON’T Diet, either to gain or lose weight, because this may affect your reproductive cycle. Key Nutrients During Pregnancy Begin taking these nutrients now before you conceive:

Folic Acid Folic Acid is an essential B vitamin that is especially important for women of childbearing age who are capable of becoming pregnant or are pregnant. Health Canada recommends women should intake 400 mcg of folic acid per day. It is advised that women talk to their physician about the recommended amount of folic acid they should be taking.

DHA (found in Omega-3) Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are necessary for human health, but the body can't make them, so you have to get them through food or supplementation.

Iron Iron is essential for making red blood cells and preventing anemia and fatigue. Make sure to choose a tolerable form of iron to reduce the possibility of constipation, bloating, and nausea.

It is recommended that women should begin taking a prenatal 3 months before getting pregnant. This can be a challenge for some due to difficulty swallowing pills, morning sickness or simply forgetting. FIRST RESPONSE™ Prenatal Multivitamin Gummies makes remembering to take your prenatal vitamin easy. FIRST RESPONSE™ Prenatal Multivitamin Gummies provides essential nutrients women need pre-conception, and during prenatal and postnatal period:

• 800 mcg folic acid per daily dose to help prevent neural tube defects*
• Helps maintain bone health and immune function
• Provides calcium for nursing moms
• Easy-to-take gummy format with delicious naturally sourced lemon-orange flavour

* Helps to reduce the risk of neural tube defects when taken daily at least three months prior to becoming pregnant and during early pregnancy

Exercise Pregnancy is a marathon. Adopting a regular exercise routine now will help you develop the strength and endurance needed down the road. You'll thank yourself later. Regular exercise will help you:

• Carry the extra weight easier during pregnancy
• Feel less tired and fatigued
• Sleep well
• Reduce muscle and joint pain
• Improve your mental well-being
• Improve posture
• Prevent unnecessary weight gain
• Ease the physical stress of delivery
• Get back in shape faster after the baby is born

Cut It Out Use this time as motivation to eliminate unhealthy habits from your lifestyle such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and any illegal drugs. Also, if necessary, why not begin weaning yourself from caffeine because once you become pregnant, your doctor may ask you to eliminate it altogether.

Identify Your Most Fertile Days

Predicting your most fertile days can speed your planning process by helping you get pregnant quicker. FIRST RESPONSE™ Ovulation Tests are over 99% accurate in laboratory studies at detecting LH surge.FIRST RESPONSE™ Ovulation Test kits detect your body's LH (luteinizing hormone) surge, giving you an easy and accurate way to determine the two days each month when you're most likely to ovulate. Your LH surge signals that ovulation will take place in 24-36 hours. If you have intercourse within this 24-36 hour window, you should maximize your chances of getting pregnant.

Try the FIRST RESPONSE™ Daily Digital Ovulation Test to help you get pregnant sooner.

Visit www.1stresponse.ca for more information.